Posts: 2

Topic: German coalition talks between Merkel, Green and liberal party fail...

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s efforts to form a three-way coalition government that would secure herself a fourth term hit a major setback after a would-be coalition partner unexpectedly pulled out of talks, thrusting Germany into a political crisis.

Merkel, whose conservatives were weakened after an election they won with a reduced number of seats, said on Monday shortly after the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) withdrew from the negotiations that she would inform the German president that she could not form a coalition.

The development left Germany with two unprecedented options in the post-World War Two era: Merkel forms a minority government with the Greens, or the president calls a new election after parties fail to form a government.

The center-left Social Democrats (SPD), Merkel’s current coalition partners who were the second-biggest party in the September election, have ruled out a repeat of a coalition with her conservatives.

[...]

The three unlikely would-be partners had tried for more than four weeks to bridge differences on immigration, climate and spending. A major sticking point had been a demand by the conservatives for a cap on the number of asylum seekers that Germany accepts each year, a measure opposed by the Greens.

Lindner said that beyond the major sticking points, the three parties could not build enough mutual trust needed to ensure that the next government is stable for the whole four-year legislative period.

A juicy, new piece of polit drama fresh as cabbage. In short, there will probably be re-elections in Germany because no fruitful coalition could be formed. This is the first time this has happened since Germany was rebuilt after World War 2.